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           Thentherewasdipping:thousandsuponthousandsofbleating,leapingcreatureswerehoundedandyankedthroughamazeofruns,inandoutofthephenyldipswhichridthemofticks,pestsandvermin.Anddrenching:theadministrationofmedicinethroughhugesyringesrammeddownthethroat,toridthesheepofintestinalparasites.

           Forworkwiththesheepnever,neverended;asonejobfinisheditbecametimeforanother.Theyweremusteredandgraded,movedfromonepaddocktoanother,bredandunbred,shornandcrutched,dippedanddrenched,slaughteredandshippedofftobesold.Droghedacarriedaboutathousandheadofprimebeefcattleaswellasitssheep,butsheepwerefarmoreprofitable,soingoodtimesDroghedacarriedaboutonesheepforeverytwoacresofitsland,orabout125,000altogether.Beingmerinos,theywereneversoldformeat;attheendofamerino’swool-producingyearsitwasshippedofftobecomeskins,lanolin,tallowandglue,usefulonlytothetanneriesandtheknackeries.

           ThusitwasthatgraduallytheclassicsofBushliteraturetookonmeaning.ReadinghadbecomemoreimportantthanevertotheClearys,isolatedfromtheworldonDrogheda;theironlycontactwithitwasthroughthemagicwrittenword.Buttherewasnolendinglibraryclose,astherehadbeeninWahine,noweeklytripintotownformailandnewspapersandafreshstackoflibrarybooks,astherehadbeeninWahine.